Joseph Mizzi (The Sunday Times, April 25) is so right. It is so sad and so true. Society has never succeeded in solving the problem posed by its criminal anti-social psychopathic element such as fraudsters, aggressive individuals, serial killers, and sado-masochistic sex perverts.

Whether by psychiatric treatment or by such drastic methods as imprisonment, capital punishment and bodily disfigurement by amputations or physical and chemical sterilisation.

This is due to the inherent inability of these psychopaths to learn and profit from their experience. In spite of this chronic failure, the various organisations that make up modern society are not singled out and accused by the press of ignoring, condoning or hiding this problem among their members. The outstanding exception is the Catholic Church and the problem regrettably caused by a small minority of lapsing clergy.

The reason is obvious, and it is not any genuine concern for the well-being of the victims. It is fomented by a venomous anti-Catholic faction in league with sensationalist hostile media intent on damaging the Church.